Around one hundred foreigners, dressed as Spartan warriors with leather shorts and flowing capes, prompted a swift reaction from Beijing police Wednesday, the state mouthpiece People’s Daily reports.

The men were apparently hired actors taking part in a publicity stunt for a Beijing-based restaurant called Salad Sweetie. They were meant to be delivering salad lunches to office workers, but the stunt went wrong.

As they marched through the streets of Beijing, crowds gathered around them...